ELDT beginner’s guide: your first 7 days as a manager

This is a beginner’s guide to ELDT, designed for your first 7 days as a manager. The idea is to add one system per day, in order, so that by the end of the week your club is up and running without overwhelming you. If you still haven’t created your club, you can do it at eldt.com.ar/registro and come back here for the first steps.

The league is played on Thursdays and Saturdays at 21:00 (Argentine time), so this plan assumes you’re starting on a Monday. If you begin on another day, just shift the steps along: the only thing that can’t wait is having your line-up saved before the first match.

Day 1: line-up and first look at the squad

Go into Squad and see who you’ve got to work with. Each player has a rating from 1 to 20 and 22 attributes; in the lower divisions most will be between 4 and 8, and that’s perfectly normal. Pay attention to three numbers: form (30 to 90), morale (0 to 100) and fatigue (0 to 100).

Then head to Line-up. Pick a formation based on the players you have, not the other way round: if you don’t have quick wingers, a 4-3-3 is basically handing out points. To begin with, a 4-4-2 with a balanced mentality is a solid base. Set your captain and vice-captain, plus who takes penalties, free kicks and corners.

The buttons "Best XI" and "Best XI by form and fatigue" sort it out in one click. The step nobody can skip: hit Save. If you don’t save, the match is played with the previous line-up; line-ups lock 15 minutes before kick-off. More detail in the line-up guide.

Day 2: weekly training

Training is set by week and only takes effect on Sundays. If you don’t set it up, you lose the week. There are 7 areas: goalkeeping, defending, creativity, passing, wings, finishing and set pieces, and each one helps certain positions more (goalkeeping for goalkeepers, finishing for strikers and wingers, creativity for midfielders).

You can choose one focus for the whole squad, one per line (goal, defence, midfield and attack) or one per player. If you’re just starting out, switch on the Automatic tab: each player trains whatever suits their position best and you only choose the intensity (light, normal or hard, which trains 30% more but adds 20 fatigue).

Two basic rules: youngsters improve far faster than veterans, and the minutes played during the week multiply the progress. An 18-year-old youngster who plays the full 90 minutes is the one who develops the most. The training guide has the full age and minutes tables.

Day 3: take a proper look at the squad

Spend some time understanding your squad: contracts that are running down, players over 30 who are already close to their peak, and youngsters who could make the first team. This helps you decide what to buy and what to sell in the transfer market.

Also go into Academy and have a look at your prospects. The youth teams have their own competition, played on Thursdays and Saturdays in the morning, and a separate line-up under Youths → Youth Line-up. You don’t need to promote anyone yet, but it’s worth knowing what you’ve got coming through.

Day 4: first league match

On Thursday at 21:00 the first matchday is played. In Calendar you can see the exact time for your division (the league is split into batches every 15 minutes) and whether the line-up has been saved. You can watch it live, with the 2D pitch and minute-by-minute commentary, or see the report afterwards.

After that, keep an eye on fatigue: a full competitive match adds about 36 points (0.4 per minute) and drops by 12 per day for anyone who hasn’t played an official match in the last 24 hours. When a starter goes past 50 or 60 fatigue, they perform worse and pick up injuries more easily: that’s when you need to rotate. Injuries last between 1 and 15 days.

Day 5: the transfer market and signings

Once you’ve had a match, you’ll know where you’re short. ELDT’s transfer market works through 3-day auctions: the seller sets an opening price, managers bid, and the highest bid wins. The buyer pays the price plus a 10% commission and the seller receives the price minus 10%. If someone bids in the last 3 minutes, the auction is extended by another 3 minutes.

For your first signing, use the filters: position, age, OVR and maximum price. One money-saving rule: players aged 28 to 30 with a good OVR perform just as well and cost quite a bit less. You can place a maximum bid so the game bids for you without going over your limit.

Two limits: you can’t sell if you’re left with 13 players or fewer, and a player you buy cannot be sold for 14 days. And never bid with the whole bank balance: if you end up in the red, the game forces you to take out a loan or make an emergency sale. The market guide explains every rule.

Day 6: stadium and tickets

Before Saturday’s match, go to Stadium. You have three sections with adjustable prices and the game shows your price against the ideal one: $500 for the standing area, $2.000 for the seating area and $8.000 for VIP. Charging too much scares people away quickly; charging too little brings in only a small crowd. To start with, keep prices close to the ideal.

The real attendance ceiling is set by your fans, who you win over with results. Don’t start any major work in the first week: expansions take between 3 and 5 weeks and if a section doesn’t fill up, making it bigger doesn’t help. In Staff, the first thing that pays off is a head coach: without one, the squad trains without any bonus. More in the stadium and staff guide.

Day 7: cup, private leagues and the manager assistant

The Copa ELDT is played on Tuesdays at 21:00, it’s straight knock-out, and every club in the game is included: a Primera D side can knock out a Primera División club. The prize money grows round by round.

Private leagues are tournaments with mates played on Sundays: you create them from the menu and invite people with a code. They don’t hand out prizes or affect the economy; they’re played for the banter. Friendlies (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) do not affect fatigue, so they’re useful for testing formations.

The manager assistant is an in-game chat that answers with ELDT’s actual rules: how much fatigue a match adds, how an auction works, what to train a full-back. You get 5 messages per day (30 if you’re a Supporter).

Tips to get started: the beginner’s guide in six lines

• Save your line-up before every match, always.
• Set up training in the first week; if in doubt, use Automatic.
• Rotate anyone who goes over 50-60 fatigue.
• In the transfer market, target first signings aged 28 to 30 and never spend the whole bank balance.
• Keep ticket prices close to the ideal; do improvements later.
• Hire a head coach before any other staff member.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start playing ELDT?

You create your account at eldt.com.ar/registro, the game assigns you a club from the lower divisions based on your region, and you go into Squad and Line-up. Once the line-up is saved, you’re ready for your first league match.

What is the most important thing in the first few days?

Having your line-up saved before every match and your training set for the week. Those two things can’t be recovered if you miss them: the match is played with the previous line-up and the training week is lost.

When is the best time to make the first signing?

After the first match, once you’ve seen where you’re short. The transfer market works through 3-day auctions with a 10% commission on each side, so bid with a clear limit and don’t tie up the entire bank balance.

What is the game’s weekly schedule?

League on Thursdays and Saturdays at 21:00 (Argentine time), Copa ELDT on Tuesdays at 21:00, friendlies on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and private leagues on Sundays. Youth teams play on Thursdays and Saturdays in the morning.

With this beginner’s guide you’ve got the first steps covered. If you still don’t have a club, create yours at eldt.com.ar/registro and start with day 1: the rest comes match by match.